AD 98-09-25 63 FR 23205

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain The New Piper Aircraft, Inc. (Piper) Models PA-31, PA-31-300, PA-31-325, and PA-31-350 airplanes. This AD requires replacing the lower spar splice plate and reworking the lower spar caps. This AD results from numerous reports of fretting and cracking of the lower spar splice plates on Piper PA-31 series airplanes in Australia, and a report of one incident in the United States. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent failure of the lower spar splice plate caused by fretting and cracking, which could result in loss of control of the airplane.